Breathe
by Kyorami
Summary: Hiyori falls into one of her tantrums, and Shinji tries to console her. Shinji/Hiyori.


**A/N: A quick one-shot done for the Bleach multi-pairing contest on the LiveJournal community, senkaimon. I felt compelled to upload this after reading the latest chapter of the manga. Enjoy~  
**

**

* * *

**

A faint thudding could be heard coming from the training grounds of the Twelfth Division. Shinigami of the division began gathering cautiously around the tree that shook and lost part of its collection of leaves with every thud. They weren't quite sure what to do with their lieutenant who was currently taking out her latest tantrum on the poor defenseless tree.

Hiyori knew she always had a bad temper. There was just no other way that she could express her frustration for the situation that she had been placed in.

"What're ya dickheads lookin' at?!" Her aggressive voice rang throughout the grounds and was responded by a petrified silence.

"O-Our apologies, Lieutenant Sarugaki!" one of the shinigami stuttered before beckoning the rest of them away from the fuming girl.

Just like that, Hiyori was alone again.

She turned and gave the tree one last hard punch, giving a cry of anger as her fist made contact with the sturdy wood of the trunk. The small lieutenant slowly brought her arm down and unclenched her fist, sinking down to her knees. The frustration on her face was now replaced with brooding. Why? Why did Captain Hikifune have to leave? Why did she accept that promotion and leave her alone? Why couldn't they have chosen someone else? Why? Endless questions ran through Hiyori's head, questions that would never be answered.

It was no use. She was alone, and she needed to accept that. Captain Hikifune was gone, and some dumbshit is going to replace her.

No. Captain Hikifune can never be replaced.

The petite blonde girl sighed and leaned her back against the tree that she had just been beating moments ago. Hiyori didn't usually break down like this unless she knew for certain there was absolutely no one watching. It left her too vulnerable, and no one would take her threats seriously if they caught her.

"Oi, Hiyori!"

Shit.

That wicked smile could only belong to one person.

"Sh-Shinji! What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Is your face red from anger or from cryin', Hiyori?" The captain's grin grew even wider.

Hiyori took her sandal and threw it as hard as she could at the taller man standing tauntingly before her. The shoe hit its mark and left a red welt on his face. "Whose face is red now?"

Shinji annoyingly rubbed his cheek where the sandal had hit. "Can't a guy just talk normally to you for once without getting a concussion?"

"No," she replied flatly. "And you didn't answer my question, asshole."

"I'm here because I want to be. Last time I checked, it wasn't a crime to visit another division." The blonde-haired captain planted himself on the ground next to Hiyori. Her small hand reached up to smack him, but he caught her wrist in time. He sighed. "Is this about Captain Hikifune again?"

Hiyori's eyes narrowed and she jerked her wrist out of his grasp. "As if, dickhead."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Alright."

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Hiyori didn't notice Shinji observing her slight movements. Her clenched, shaking fists. The twitch of the corners of her mouth. Her short and sharp breaths.

"You know, staying angry won't help," he breaks the silence and turns his gaze towards her. "It's better to--"

"Shut up!" the smaller figure next to him screamed. She didn't turn to face him. "You don't know anything about what's going on right now! You have no idea what it's like to be… to be…"

"Abandoned?" he finished.

"Abandoned…" she repeated.

Somehow, he always knew.

"You're right. I don't know what it's like, but I sure as hell have been angry and frustrated before." He paused, waiting for a response. When none came, he said, "Breathe, Hiyori."

Shinji sensed the lieutenant's shaking stop for a split second as she registered what he had just said.

"I-I am breathing, you idiot." It was the first thing she thought of to say.

"You're a lot of things, but you're not stupid. _Breathe_, Hiyori," His eyes never left her face.

At last, the small girl turned her face towards the taller man. Their hazel eyes locked for a few seconds before she closed her own and inhaled deeply, releasing the breath slowly.

"Feel better?"

"No, dumbfuck." Hiyori actually did feel better, but she would never admit that to Shinji's face.

"Well then, I guess you're just gonna keep abusing me, eh?" The tone of his voice told Hiyori that he knew she was lying.

She replied by throwing her remaining sandal at him.


End file.
